Daytime Napping Linked to Increased Dementia Risk, Study Finds
New research suggests that frequent daytime napping among older adults may be associated with a higher likelihood of developing dementia.
A common daytime habit, particularly among individuals over 65, may be associated with a significantly increased risk of dementia, according to new research from Johns Hopkins University. The study suggests that frequent napping could be a marker for declining brain function rather than a direct cause.
Researchers found that individuals who napped most days or every day exhibited a 48% higher risk of developing dementia over a 10-year period compared to those who rarely or never napped. This elevated risk was observed even when excluding individuals diagnosed with dementia within the first five years of the study, indicating that increased napping habits may appear years before an official diagnosis.
Key Findings on Napping Habits
The study also highlighted specific characteristics of napping that correlated with higher dementia risk. Unintentional napping, or falling asleep without planning to, was linked to a 39% increased risk. Furthermore, nap length played a role, with naps shorter than 30 minutes associated with a 40% higher risk of dementia. Other research has also indicated that longer naps can be associated with cognitive decline.
Individuals who napped frequently were also found to have higher BMIs, a greater number of health conditions, stronger depressive symptoms, and were more prone to daytime sleepiness. The study also noted that men were more likely to fall into this group.
While napping is common among older adults, often due to more fragmented nightly sleep, researchers do not believe it directly causes dementia. Instead, they propose that increased napping could be an early indicator of underlying changes in the brain that precede dementia.
"Monitoring napping behaviors could serve as an early and accessible marker to help identify older adults at higher risk for dementia and guide targeted interventions for dementia prevention," stated author Kening Jiang. The researchers suggest that future studies could explore whether modifying napping habits might contribute to lowering dementia risk.